Izintuli zisuka kubonakale ukuthi isakhiwo sishabalale ngokuphelele, akusalanga lutho lumile. Abasebenzi baphuma betubekile begcwele izintuli, begxaza igazi. Abambozwe izitini namaplangwe bazwakala bekhala, abanye bekhwehlela bexhilwa izintuli. UNjabulo uthinta iKhansela uMlaba ngocingo kodwa angatholi mpendulo.
UThabo noNjabulo bagijima batakule abasebenzi abasabambekile ngaphansi kwezitini. Omunye wabasebenzi uphuma ngaphansi kwezitini nomlenze otshekile egijima ngesivinini esiphezulu. Uthatha amagxathi ambalwa awe phansi ngoba lo mlenze uhluleka ukumela isisindo sakhe. UNjabulo noThabo basondela kuyena babone ukuthi umlenze walo msebenzi uphuke phoqo.
“Nibangaki la esaythini?” kubuza uNjabulo kubasebenzi, “Ukuphi uThrice?”
“Asazi nathi,” kuphendula labo abambalwa abasakwazi ukukhuluma.
Babona uThrice ezincengela kancane ebuya espaza shop. Ulalele umculo ocingweni lakhe, uqhafaza izinkinobho emunca i-lollipop. Uphambana nomunye wabasebenzi onengozi egxaza igazi ekhanda enhlanhlatha. UThrice ubona lomsebenzi, abone nomonakalo osesaythini agijime aqonde khona.
“Buka nje, Njabulo, lombhedo owenzeka la,” kusho uThabo betakula omunye wabasebenzi, “UThrice uyena kuphela ogqoke umakalabha. Akekho noyedwa omunye umsebenzi onikwe umakalabha. Ngabe abalimalanga kangaka abantu ukube bebebagqokile”
Kuyamshaqa uThrice afike akubone engena esaythini, i-lollipop iyaziqathakela emlomeni.
“Bangaki abasebenzi abasebenza la esaythini, Thrice? Biza i-ambulensi! Thinta iKhansela!” kumemeza uNjabulo.
UThrice uvele andwaze, athwale izandla kumakalabha osekhanda, ubuso bugcwele ukwesaba nokumangala.
“Hheyi, Thrice, kufanele ubale abasebenzi esesibatakulile khona uzokwazi ukuthi kusakhona yini abasambozekile. Bangaki abasebenzi abasebenzayo la?” UNjabulo uyamdlikizisa ememeza.
“Angazi. Bawu 15, 20 mhlawumbe 25″
“Kanti aninayo irejista?”
“Cha” kuphendula uThrice evoshokela phansi ngamadolo, esho nangomkhuleko kuzwakale ukuthi usekhuluma ngezilimi.
UNjabulo noThabo bamushiya kanjalo uThrice baqhubeke nokutakula abasebenzi. UNjabulo uyaphinda azame ukuthinta iKhansela kodwa ucingo lungaphendulwa. Umsebenzi wokugcina abamtakulayo uphuke ingalo yakwesokunxele nethambo elihlanhanisa ihlombe nomqala esandleni sakwesokudla.
“Labantu ababili abaphukile badinga usizo oluphuthumayo. Asiphuthumise bona bobabili esibhedlela,” kusho uThabo.
Basizwa abasenzi abangalimele kakhulu ukuqubula laba ababili babafake emotweni yeNUZ FM. UNjabulo uyishaya izule imoto abuke- esibukweni semoto- umonakalo abawushiya ngemuva. Abone noThrice ejikijela umakalabha phansi ewukhahlela.
Emotweni, uNjabulo uyayinyathela ngempela. Izinhlungu kubasebenzi abahamba nabo zivela ngezindlela ezihlukene. Lomsebenzi ophuke umlenze uhhayiza indlela yonke. Lona ophuke ingalo uzithulele ngathi akezwa buhlungu. UNjabulo umbukisisa kahle abone ukuthi ukewambona eshayelela amaplangwe ophahla.
“Madoda, aninawo ugwayi? Ngafa ukuqaleka,” kusho umsebenzi ophuke izingalo.
UThabo unawo ugwayi. Kuqwiza umentshisi, amunike kodwa kufanele ambambele wona ugwayi ngoba zombili izandla zalo msebenzi azisebenzi njengoba izingalo ziphukile.
“Siqhamuka eMalawi. Into yokuqala abayenza sizoqala ukusebenza ukusiphuca amaphasiphothi,” kusho lomlisa ephafuza ugwayi, “Lokho akusikhathazanga ngoba sazitshela ukuthi bafuna isiqinisekiso sokuthi sizowuqeda lomsebenzi. Selokhu sifikile asikaze sihole. Sekuphele inyanga yonke singakaze sithole lutho. Emakhaya sishiye abafazi, izingane nabazali. Asinikwa nezimpahla zokuzivikela njengoba sisebenza.”
Izinyembezi zigcwala emehlweni kulo mlisa njengoba echaza ngosizi lwakhe.
“Lalelani, ngamtshela kaningi uThrice ukuthi sisebenza ngokushesha okuyingozi,” kuqhubeka lomlisa, “Isisekelo asisitholanga isikhathi sokuqina. Sasiqeda namhlanje, saqala ukwakha izindonga ngosuku olulandelayo. Kanjalo nezindonga, saqhubeka nokuzinyusa udaka lungakomi ezitinini eziphansi. Bekufanele siwe lesi sakhiwo. Bengimtshela lokhu uThrice kodwa angisthele ukuthi angiyilutho akufanele nokuthi ngikhulume naye”
“IKhansela uMlaba yena wamtshela konke lokhu?” kubuza uNjabulo embembethela imoto.
“Ubani iKhansela uMlaba?” kuphendula lo mlisa.
“Lobaba okhulile ebengihamba naye nisebenza ophahleni. Lo baba ofike ngomakhandakhanda”
“Bengiqala ukumbona loya baba. Ubeqala ukufika esaythini, ngabe ngambona ukube wakewafika ngoba ngihleze ngikhona. Siyavalelwa thina lapha, umuntu uphathiswa okwesiboshwa,” kusho lomlisa.
“Ngempela?” kubuza uNjabulo emangele.
Ufisa ukumbuza eminye imibuzo kodwa amiswe ukuthi sebefikile esibhedlela. Kuyasiza ukuthi uThabo uyamazi omunye wabahlengikazi, bayashesha ukuthola usizo oluphuthumayo labalisa abaphukile.
Bashiya labasebenzi bethola usizo esibhedlela. Akukapheli namahora amabili elande uThabo kodwa abakubonile kwenza kuzwakale ngathi sebehambe usuku lonke.
UNjabulo ushiya uThabo kubo, ashayele engazazi naye ukuthi uyaphi. Uzama ukupholisa umqondo ngalokushayela kodwa yikhona okwenza afikelwe imicabango eminingi. Unezinsolo zokuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi ekwakhiweni kwalesi Sikhungo Somphakathi. Lezinto azixoxelwe umlisa waseMalawi, ukuwa kwesakhiwo, nale ndaba yeKhansela elingasaluphenduli ucingo kuyamdida.
Imicabango miningi futhi iyagijima. Ubungozi buphambili emicabangweni yakhe. UNjabulo uyazi ukuthi kuyingozi ukuba intatheli egubha lapho kungafanele igubhe khona. Abantu bafela ubala kulelizwe lethu. Akukapheli nesonto kudutshulwe intatheli eMpumalanga Kapa eyaveza ukukhwabanisa kumasipala wakhona. UNjabulo udidekile phakathi kokuqhubeka nale ndaba nokuyiyeka. NeKhansela uMlaba akalubambi ucingo.
Amazwi omphathi wakhe, uDavid Ndlovu, aduma ekhanda: Intatheli kumele ithole iqiniso. Noma kunjalo uNjabulo usadidekile, uyangqikaza. Okwenza aqhubeke nokufuna iqiniso umcabango Wesikhungo Somphakathi sesakhiwe sesisebenza noma asakhiwanga ngendlela efanele. Ucabanga isakhiwo sonke sidilikela izingane ezigcwele kule nkulisa ezokwakhiwa. Ekhanda ubona udadewabo nomfowabo omncane begqibeke ngaphansi kwezitini. Kungafa abantu ngokuyeka kwakhe ukufuna iqiniso. Unembeza wakhe uwumvumeli ukuthi ayiyeke le ndaba.
Into yokuqala ayenzayo efika emahhovisi eNUZ FM ukuthatha ucingo afonele ihhovisi likaKhansela Mlaba.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Umunwe kumele ukhombe kubani ngokudilika kwesakhiwo?